Just adding to the conversation about gender, I think that the research that was conducted showed less about what traits are characteristic of men and women, but instead reflected how gender is constructed in society. I think that this week’s reading “Navigating the city: gender and positionality in cultural geography research” really complimented this week’s activity as it discusses gender and research. I found it really useful in helping to consider the relationship between gender and the methodology that we employ in our research. The authors write: “When we consider gender, we not only reference the physical qualities associated with gender differences but most importantly also refer to socially constructed gender roles” (153).
I think that the results of the survey illustrated the limitations that come with only recognizing two genders, male and female. I believe that gender should not be something that you just tick off in a box as either as male or female; perhaps a blank space for the participant to provide their own way of identifying would be more suitable. In the article “Native gay and lesbian issues: The two-spirited” Terry Tafoya offers a good overview of traditional Indigenous concepts of gender that are quite different from the Canadian constructions of gender that were long imposed on Indigenous peoples. In mainstream Canadian society, gender is often constructed as…
“polar opposites, or different ends of the same stick. One is either/or, male or female, gay or straight. Native American concepts usually prefer circles to lines. If one takes the line of male/female, gay/straight, and bends it into a circle, there are an infinite number of points. Just so, there are theoretically an infinite number of possible points of gender and sexual identity for an individual who can shift and differ over time and location” (407).
This article is quite appropriate for our discussion of leadership, which, in Canadian society, has been dominated by men. If I remember correctly the leadership gender survey took place at a university in the states, which, like Canada is a settler colonial society, where males have dominated leadership positions. Prior to contact, many Indigenous communities were matriarchal and women often occupied leadership roles. This changed with the imposition of the Indian Act, which made it mandatory for Indians on reserves to vote in band office elections instead of using traditional forms of Indigenous governance, and denied women the right to vote or to be elected chief until 1951. These imposed Canadian concepts of gender and leadership were very different from traditional Indigenous understandings.
“Historically the status of a two-spirit person was valued in many native communities, since an ordinary male sees the world through male eyes and an ordinary female sees the world through female eyes. However, a two-spirited person (who possesses both a male and female spirit, regardless of the flesh that is worn) will always see further. For this reason, many two-spirited people have become medicine people, leaders, and intermediaries between men and women… Their greater flexibility provides them with greater possibilities of discovering alternative ways of seeing themselves and the world.”
References
Kusek, Weronika A., and Sarah L. Smiley. “Navigating the City: Gender and Positionality in Cultural Geography Research.” Journal of Cultural Geography 31.2 (2014): 152-65. Web
Tafoya, Terry. “Native gay and lesbian issues: The two-spirited.” Psychological perspectives on lesbian, gay, and bisexual experiences (2003): 401-409.
Angela Ho 12:44 am on April 4, 2016 Permalink |
This class has been an eye opening experience for me. I’m used to being in control of whatever I do for my classes, and the fact that my group members and I don’t have full authority over our project is something new for me. Because we are relying on our community partner to help us complete various parts of our project (such as administering surveys and collecting the results), this class is definitely encouraging my community partner, group members and I to develop our trust for one another, which I really appreciate!
Anton Metalnikov 11:28 pm on April 4, 2016 Permalink |
I totally agree with Mielle. I went into this course hoping to gain real world experience that could be applied outside of the “ivory tower” of academia, and it’s exactly what I’ve gotten so far working with my community partner. Being able to put my abilities such as research and GIS into practical uses all with a large, busy team has been an valuable opportunity I do not take for granted! The feeling of pressure is also very different as well. In a typical university setting, while I do worry about disappointing my professors if I don’t work to my best ability, at the end of the day I am the only one to suffer. Throughout this term, not only do my actions affect my fellow team members, but they also affect my community partner, and even the people of the Williams Lake Indian Band. I could almost consider this my first geography related job! Overall, I can’t give away too much from my final reflection for this class, but already before we’ve even made the trip up I have had a great time and would recommend this class to anyone.